1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a device for packaging breakfast cereal and a milk carton together for storage and use and more particularly to a device which stores both the breakfast cereal and milk carton, provides a means for mixing the milk within the milk carton with the breakfast cereal, and becomes a bowl for the breakfast cereal.
2. Description of Related Art
Individual packages of breakfast cereal have long been available to consumers. These individual packages have the advantage of being compact and storable without refrigeration. The contents of an individual package of breakfast cereal may be dispensed into a bowl whereafter refrigerated milk is added. Therefore, in addition to the package of breakfast cereal, a bowl and chilled milk are required to consume the contents of the package. With the advent of individual cereal containers having perforated front panels adapted to be opened, leaving the contents of the package therewithin, and to receive milk therein, at least the need for a bowl was dispensed with. However, milk to be mixed with the cereal has heretofore been available only from a separate, refrigerated supply. Because the respective shelf lives of milk and dry cereal have heretofore been of vastly different duration, it has not been possible to provide a compact, single-use breakfast cereal kit which included both a cereal and a fresh milk supply therein capable of being stored at room temperature for a substantial period of time.
Until recently, containers of milk were required to be refrigerated in order to prevent the spoiling of the milk. However, the development of UHT field containers has allowed containers of milk to be stored on a shelf for significant lengths of time without the need for refrigeration.
In today s two-worker families, the necessity of convenience in preparing meals is utmost. It is, therefore, desired to provide a self-contained breakfast-meal package that is compact and simple to prepare for consumption.